This blog is about spiritual awakening, maps and stages, the blinding effects of our strong momentum/conditioning (karmic propensities), view, realization, experience, etc. If you're new here, I recommend going through the 'Must Reads' articles (see sidebar). For discussions you are welcome to join the Awakening to Reality Facebook group

This principle of nonabiding is also contained within the ancient
Theravada teachings. It wasn’t just Ajahn Chah’s personal insight
or the legacy of some stray Nyingmapa lama who wandered
over the mountains and fetched up in northeast Thailand 100
years ago. Right in the Pali Canon, the Buddha points directly
to this. In the Udana (the collection of “Inspired Utterances”
of the Buddha), he says:

There is that sphere of being where there is no earth,no water, no fire, nor wind; no experience of infinityof space, of infinity of consciousness, of no-thingness,or even of neither-perception-nor-non-perception; herethere is neither this world nor another world, neithermoon nor sun; this sphere of being I call neither a comingnor a going nor a staying still, neither a dying nora reappearance; it has no basis, no evolution, and nosupport: it is the end of dukkha. (ud. 8.1)

Rigpa, nondual awareness, is the direct knowing of this. It’s
the quality of mind that knows, while abiding nowhere.

Another teaching from the same collection recounts the story
of a wanderer named Bahiya. He stopped the Buddha on the
street in Savatthi and said, “Venerable Sir, you are the Samana
Gotama. Your Dharma is famous throughout the land. Please
teach me that I may understand the truth.”

The Buddha replied, “We’re on our almsround, Bahiya. This is
not the right time.”

“Life is uncertain, Venerable Sir. We never know when we are
going to die; please teach me the Dharma.”

This dialogue repeats itself three times. Three times over, the
Buddha says the same thing, and Bahiya responds in the same
way. Finally, the Buddha says, “When a Tathagata is pressed
three times, he has to answer. Listen carefully, Bahiya, and
attend to what I say:

In the seen, there is only the seen,in the heard, there is only the heard,in the sensed, there is only the sensed,in the cognized, there is only the cognized.Thus you should see thatindeed there is no thing here;this, Bahiya, is how you should train yourself.Since, Bahiya, there is for youin the seen, only the seen,in the heard, only the heard,in the sensed, only the sensed,in the cognized, only the cognized,and you see that there is no thing here,you will therefore see thatindeed there is no thing there.As you see that there is no thing there,you will see thatyou are therefore located neither in the world of this,nor in the world of that,nor in any placebetwixt the two.This alone is the end of suffering.” (ud. 1.10)

Upon hearing these words, Bahiya was immediately enlightened.
Moments later he was killed by a runaway cow. So he was
right: life is uncertain. Later Bahiya was awarded the title of
“The Disciple Who Understood the Teaching Most Quickly.”

“Where” Does Not Apply

What does it mean to say, “There is no thing there”? It is talking
about the realm of the object; it implies that we recognize that
“the seen is merely the seen.” That’s it. There are forms, shapes,
colors, and so forth, but there is no thing there. There is no real
substance, no solidity, and no self-existent reality. All there is,
is the quality of experience itself. No more, no less. There is just
seeing, hearing, feeling, sensing, cognizing. And the mind naming
it all is also just another experience: “the space of the
Dharma hall,” “Ajahn Amaro’s voice,” “here is the thought,
‘Am I understanding this?’ Now another thought, ‘Am I not
understanding this?’”

There is what is seen, heard, tasted, and so on, but there is no
thing-ness, no solid, independent entity that this experience
refers to.

As this insight matures, not only do we realize that there is
no thing “out there,” but we also realize there is no solid thing
“in here,” no independent and fixed entity that is the experiencer.
This is talking about the realm of the subject.

The practice of nonabiding is a process of emptying out the
objective and subjective domains, truly seeing that both the
object and subject are intrinsically empty. If we can see that both
the subjective and objective are empty, if there’s no real “in
here” or “out there,” where could the feeling of I-ness and meness
and my-ness locate itself? As the Buddha said to Bahiya,
“You will not be able to find your self either in the world of this
[subject] or in the world of that [object] or anywhere between
the two.”

There is a similar and much lengthier exchange between the
Buddha and Ânanda in the Shurangama Sutra, which is a text
much referred to in the Ch’an school of the Chinese tradition.
For pages and pages the Buddha asks Ânanda, in multifarious
ways, if he can define exactly where his mind is. No matter how
hard he tries, Ânanda cannot establish it precisely. Eventually
he is forced to the conclusion that “I cannot find my mind anywhere.”

But the Buddha says, “Your mind does exist, though,
doesn’t it?”

Ânanda is finally drawn to the conclusion that “where” does
not apply.

Aha!

This is the point that these teachings on nonabiding are trying
to draw us to. The whole concept and construct of where-ness,
the act of conceiving ourselves as this individual entity living
at this spot in space and time, is a presumption. And it’s only by
frustrating our habitual judgments in this way that we’re forced
into loosening our grip.

This view of things pulls the plug, takes the props away, and,
above all, shakes up our standard frames of reference. This is
exactly what Ajahn Chah did with people when he asked, “If you
can’t go forward and you can’t go back and you can’t stand still,
where can you go?” He was pointing to the place of nonabiding:
the timeless, selfless quality that is independent of location.

Interestingly enough, some current scientific research has
also reached a comparable conclusion about the fundamental
nature of matter. In the world of quantum physics, scientists
now use such terms as “the well of being” or “the sea of potential”
to refer to the primordial level of physical reality from
which all particles and energies crystallize and into which they
subsequently dissolve. The principle of non-locality in this realm
means that the “place where something happens” cannot truly
be defined, and that a single event can have exactly simultaneous
effects in (apparently) widely separated places. Particles can
accurately be described as being smeared out over the entirety of
time and space.

Terms like “single place” and “separate places” are seen to
apply only as convenient fictions at certain levels of scale; at the
level of the ultimate field, the sea of quantum foam, “place” has
no real meaning. When you get down into the fine, subatomic
realm, where-ness simply does not apply. There is no there there.
Whether this principle is called nonabiding or non-locality, it’s
both interesting and noteworthy that the same principle applies
in both the physical and mental realms. For the intellectuals and
rationalists among us, this parallel is probably very comforting.

I first started to investigate this type of contemplation when I
was on a long retreat in our monastery and doing a lot of solitary
practice. It suddenly occurred to me that even though I might
have let go of the feeling of self—the feeling of this and that
and so on—whatever the experience of reality was, it was still
“here.” There was still here-ness. For several weeks I contemplated
the question, “Where is here?” Not using the question to
get a verbal answer, more just to illuminate and aid the abandonment
of the clinging that was present.

Recognizing this kind of conditioning is half the job—
recognizing that, as soon as there is a here-ness, there is a subtle
presence of a there-ness. Similarly, establishing a “this,” brings
up a “that.” As soon as we define “inside,” up pops “outside.”
It’s crucial to acknowledge such subtle feelings of grasping; it
happens so fast and at so many different layers and levels.

This simple act of apprehending the experience is shining the
light of wisdom onto what the heart is grasping. Once the defilements
are in the spotlight, they get a little nervous and uncomfortable.
clinging is the focus of our awareness, it can’t function properly.
In short, clinging can’t cling if there is too much wisdom around.
Clinging operates best when we are not looking. When
clinging is the focus of our awareness, it can’t function properly.
In short, clinging can’t cling if there is too much wisdom around.

This passage has been most useful to me personally. The challenge is to constantly remain with the experiencing and not bring in the experiencer. Again the pre supposition of a place of "I" in time space is a difficult conditioning to break. An experience of perpetual nows requires energy and attention that seems almost impossible to have. Thank you for this article.

At first 'effort' to focus on experiencing on the vividness of 'sensation' in the most immediate and direct way will remain. It will be 'concentrative' for some time before it turns effortless.

There are a few points I would like to share:

1. Insight that 'anatta' is a seal and not a stage must arise to further progress into the 'effortless' mode. That is, anatta is the ground of all experiences and has always been so, no I. In seeing, always only seen, in hearing always only sound and in thinking, always only thoughts. No effort required and never was there an 'I'.

2. It is better not to treat sensation as 'real' as the word 'real' in Buddhism carries a different meaning. It is rather a moment of vivid, luminous presence but nothing 'real'. It may be difficult to realise why is this important but it will become clearer in later phase of our progress.

3. Do go further into the aspect of dependent origination and emptiness to further 'purify' the experience of anatta. Not only is there no who, there is no where and when in all manifestation.

Whatever said are nothing authentic. Just a sharing and happy Journey!

Would like to add a post by our forum moderator Longchen some time ago. The mind didn't realise that the effort was the split -- the deeply rooted mechanism that perceives a non-existent duality, which it then tries to resolve through effort. It doesn't know that it is through 'Insight' into that 'Always So', 'No Self' that liberates -- that practice can turn 'effortless'.

Here's Longchen's post:

"To me, 'whatever arises already is' is a distinctive stage and insight. It allows me to maintain non-dual in activities... as there is the realisation that no 'need/effort' can be done to acheive non-dual.

Prior to this insight, there was the effort to drop the 'sense of self'. .. but the mind didn't realise that the effort was the split.

After a while, it gets really clear 'why' there wasn't a split in the first place... and therefore 'how' a split(subject-object division) can never occur in reality.

Before 'whatever arises already is' insight there was much unconscious/habitual effort to fix the split. After the insight, the experience is that no-split have ever occured at all... which enable no-self experience to be better 'integrated' with activities. With this, the benefits of the practice is more clearly experienced."

and

"...However, there can be no progressing from a dualistic state into a non-dual state. Every single moment is it! There is no one state better than the rest! Every moment is as it is.

There is absolutely no need to do anything. Even if the efforting or anything arise, let it be! The effort arises automatically too... no-self there too!

By doing nothing, everything arises and passes away on its own accord.

Actually, there cannot be a 'doing nothing'... There can only be 'what is' at any single moment."

Also related... by PasserBy/Thusness some years ago:

"...When one is unable to see the truth of our nature, all letting go is nothing more than another from of holding in disguise. Therefore without the 'insight', there is no releasing.... it is a gradual process of deeper seeing. when it is seen, the letting go is natural. You cannot force urself into giving up the self... purification to me is always these insights... non-dual and emptiness nature...."

I guess at this stage 'effortlessness' seems to subtle. Just the practice of 'experiencing' and then its ebbing when one goes back to one's mechanical thought process and then back again waking up seems to be the routine.One aspect was noticed by me namely it appears to be 'easier' to experience sounds and just sounds within nothing coming in the way, or taste or smell likewise. However, visual seems quite impossible. Nothing can be seen fresh - the images stored inside the mind come up and replace the 'thing that is being seen'. I wonder if it is because visual impressions remain in sight for a long time while the impression of sounds or taste just stay only for a short moment in the ear or tongue?

Not exactly, for most Advaita practitioners, it comes from visual first and that is termed non-dual awareness. There is no observer and observed split but just one observation and this is most obvious to them if they were to progress from a phase of “Eternal Witness”. Dissolving into mere experience of just colors, forms, shapes and into the scenery is easier for them.

For vipassana practitioners that practice bodily sensations observing the 3 characteristics; ‘sound’ is most obvious then comes others with visual impression being last.

The reason is ‘imprints’. All views and intentions cause imprints. In this case, for you impermanence has a more subtle influence than no-self (no-subject/object division). As visual impressions appear to be more static, it becomes more difficult for a practitioner to experience that ‘impermanence’ and thereby blocking that experience. It can be overcome if we were to establish more firmly the view of no division between the observer and observed, the visual aspect will appear easier. This is just my view.

In whatever case, becoming too ‘efforting’ at later phase might cause some issues like sleeplessness due to over concentration. Do regular exercises to balance it up is equally important. If that still persist, just let go and stop your practice. You will realize that by ‘stopping’ for a 1-2 weeks and revisiting it later, you progress instead.

One of the things I wanted to understand was about 'suffering'. During the day or during certain days, there is an experiencing of anxiety or psychological pain. It can be caused by various reasons including someone saying things that cause it. While one tries not to identify with it, the pain or anxiety remains. As one practices watching the pain - as an outsider for example and try not to identify with it, the pain or anxiety continues to remain, like a pulsing aching tooth. What I do in certain times like this, when one cannot bear it any longer is do some breathing exercises or even do some physical exercises. What is your advice in times like this ? Is this also because the being is still not mature and therefore cannot handle the energy required to watch dispassionately before words can hurt? How does one go about being free from this suffering?

‘Psychological pain’ is directly related to our ‘sense of self’. The sense of self is directly related our deeply rooted ‘inherent and dualistic thought’. This pain is an indication that we have not fully recognized the cause and many faces of the arising ‘sense of Self/self’ and that includes the attempt to remain as an unaffected passive observer. If we prescribe the wrong medicine, then there is no cure. Therefore your experience that “remaining as a detach observer doesn’t seem to eliminate the pain and anxiety yet breathing exercises and some physical exercises do” is a precious realization. There are 2 parts to it.

First we must realize why we equate ‘detachment’ to this ‘unaffected and passive observer’. It is due to an incomplete insight of our pristine yet non-dual and empty nature of awareness. It is partly due to our direct and non-conceptual experience of our “Unborn, pristine and luminous nature “of awareness and partly due to the karmic tendency of solidify experience. When this direct experience is understood from the lens of a ”dualistic and inherent” framework, it is natural that we view “a passive observer” as the way to solve this psychological pain.

Second, in addition to the ‘unborn, pristine and luminous’ aspect of awareness, we must have a more thorough and deeper insight into our ‘intimate, inseparable, non-dual and dependent originated’ aspect of Awareness. This relates to why “breathing exercises and some physical exercises is able to relieve psychological pain". We must directly and deeply experience what is meant by “inseparable” from the transient and understand “beingness” is never apart from whatever arises.

Lastly what that is ‘unborn, pristine and luminous’ cannot be “dependent and inseparable from the transient” appears sound only logically but not experientially. It will first seem illogical and unnatural to accept such an idea, but when the tendency to dualify and solidify experience subsides, then scenery, taste, scent, sound, breathe, the sensation of our feet touching the ground…all arising will help lighten this psychological pain. Therefore fearlessly, unreservedly and completely open to whatever arises.

I had never heard the word Dependant Origination before till you mentioned it in your response. I did look for it on the net to understand this more. It has opened a new pathway. The insight in Dependant Origination is so astounding !

Deep in the inmost of our consciousness, we see things ‘dualistically and inherently’. This latent tendency of seeing things affects our mind, body and experience in a very subtle and profound sense. With this deeply rooted wrong view as the cause, we grasp, reify, objectify; we search and we think in an ultimate sense. Whatever experience is very quickly distorted so much so that when we experience non-conceptuality, we reify this experience. When we experience non-dual, we personify this experience. There is no denying of this non-dual Luminous Presence (Pristine Awareness), it is a precious insight and experience but we also need to thoroughly understand its empty nature (dependent originated).

If we are able to dissolve this latent tendency with the right view of dependent origination, we will experience Aliveness Presence in new light. Aliveness Presence will turn spontaneous, centerless and dynamic; we will be able to directly intuitive Presence as intimately interconnected that arises whenever condition is without the need for a point of origin. We will be free from all sorts of ‘inherent tendencies of grasping’ that manifest as ‘hereness’, ‘nowness’, ‘selfness’ and thoroughly dissolve the constant need to reconfirm this ‘witness’ presence and the urge to fall back to a source.Aliveness Presence is not experienced as a Pure Source as itself and of itself but as this arising thought, this passing sound…as whatever arises.

You may also want to try the natural way of ‘letting whatever arises to manifest openly and unreservedly ’. For one that has experienced the non-duality of observer and observed and taste the sensate reality free from the sense of self, the way of ‘let manifest’ is a natural progression.

In order to do that, deeply understand that there are more problems when attempting to suppress your preferences, likes and dislikes. Therefore the first step is to experience and realize that ‘suppression’ is not the way. If we think that ‘suppression’ is way or when the arising upsets us, then unknowingly we will attempt to prevent their arising.

Second, understand clearly that letting “likes and dislikes” manifest is the first step towards liberation. We cannot prevent what that is hardwired from arising. As long as the seed is there, there will be manifestation. We may not be aware of these tendencies when they are latent but “let manifest” is the first step towards freedom.

Third, non-dual with whatever sensations that arise. When the sense of observer is gone and uninterrupted, that is the sense of freedom. It will also dissolve those tendencies eventually as all share the same taste.

I have been for the past two years struggling with the practice of Right speech. Just one aspect of Right speech - of being aware while speaking and not speaking when not required. But even with affirmations made every morning - soon during the day I see my self speak mechanically and forget about everything. Are there any practices or skillful approaches to inculcate to bring attention when one gets the impulse of speaking?

I don't know of any 'skillful means' myself. What I do know is that the practice of mindfulness of our mind and sensations taught by the Buddha are a powerful tool to discovering our habits and intentions in real time, but it has to be practiced as a moment to moment thing in whatever activities we are engaging in. The affirmation (if you mean making the intention/vow) is useful, perhaps you can also make an affirmation not to lose mindfulness in your everyday activities.

"In this way he remains focused internally on the body in & of itself, or focused externally... unsustained by anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself."

(Mahasatipatthana Sutta)

I don't think we can force ourself to change by will alone, it has to be a moment to moment observation thing that gradually awakens the intelligence to stop the mind from automatically/unconsciously acting out whatever mind patterns/habits shows up.

It is not easy and takes practice because we have spent most of our lives living and acting in an unconscious manner.

Hopefully this passage by J Krishnamurti is helpful:

Questioner: If I understand you rightly, awareness alone and by itself is sufficient to dissolve both the conflict and the source of it. I am perfectly aware, and have been for a long time, that I am “snobbish.” What prevents my getting rid of snobbishness?

Krishnamurti: The questioner has not understood what I mean by awareness. If you have a habit, the habit of snobbishness for instance, it is no good merely to overcome this habit by another, its opposite. It is futile to fight one habit by another habit. What rids the mind of habit is intelligence. Awareness is the process of awakening intelligence, not creating new habits to fight the old ones. So, you must become conscious of your habits of thought, but do not try to develop opposite qualities or habits. If you are fully aware, if you are in that state of choiceless observation, then you will perceive the whole process of creating a habit and also the opposite process of overcoming it. This discernment awakens intelligence, which does away with all habits of thought. We are eager to get rid of those habits which give us pain or which we have found to be worthless, by creating other habits of thought and assertions. This process of substitution is wholly unintelligent. If you will observe you will find that mind is nothing but a mass of habits of thought and memories. By merely overcoming these habits by others, the mind still remains in prison, confused and suffering. It is only when we deeply comprehend the process of self-protective reactions, which become habits of thought, limiting all action, that there is a possibility of awakening intelligence, which alone can dissolve the conflict of opposites.

Regarding "in and of itself", here are some explanations by Thich Nhat Hanh:

"The Satipatthana Sutta, a Buddhist scripture which teaches awareness, uses expressions such as "observing the body in the body," "observing the feelings in the feelings," "observing the mind in the mind," "observing the objects of mind in the objects of mind." Why are the words, body, feelings, mind, and objects of mind repeated? Some masters of the Abhidhamma say that the purpose of this repetition is to underline the importance of these words. I see it otherwise. I think that these words are repeated in order to remind us not to separate the meditator and the object of meditation. We must live with the object, identify with it, merge with it, like a grain of salt entering the sea in order to measure the saltiness of the sea."

Also on a related note... Dr. John Welwood writes,

"We can only perceive the suchness of things through an awareness that opens to them nonconceptualy and unconditionally, allowing them to reveal themselves in their as-it-is-ness. As the poet Basho suggests:

'From the pine tree

Learn of the pine tree

And from the bamboo

of the bamboo.'

Commenting on these lines, the Japanese philosopher Nishitani (1982) explains that Basho does not mean

'That we should ‘observe the pine tree carefully.’ Still less does he mean for us to ‘study the pine tree scientifically.’ He means for us to enter the mode of being where the pine tree is the pine tree itself, and the bamboo is the bamboo itself, and from there to look at the pine tree and the bamboo. He calls on us to betake ourselves to the dimension where things become manifest in their suchness.' (p. 128)

In the same vein, Zen Master Dogen advises: “You should not restrict yourselves to learning to see water from the viewpoints of human beings alone. Know that you must see water in the way water sees water” (Izutsu, 1972, p. 140). “Seeing water in the way water sees water” means recognizing water in its suchness, free of all concepts that spring from an observing mind standing back from experience."

.......

You will see the "in and of itself" stressed throughout the Mahasatipatthana sutta, what I have quoted is only a small portion.

“There is the case where he discerns the eye, he discerns forms, he discerns the fetter that arises dependent on both. He discerns how there is the arising of an unarisen fetter.”-Satipatthana SuttaWhat is this fetter that arises ?

Due to the arising of a form, if there is a personality belief, a belief that the form is "me" or "mine", he is at fault of the first fetter of sakkaya ditthi.

If due to the arising of a form, feelings of aversion, dislike, or even anger and hatred, he is at fault of the fifth fetter of vyapado.

If due to the arising of a form, he gets attracted, craves, lust, over the form, he is at fault of the fourth fetter of kamacchado.

And so on and so forth...

All these fetters have a basis in the false subject-object duality, a deeply held belief that there is a 'self' that is separate from an 'outer object'. And as such, this 'self' is at the mercy of, or could seek, or remove himself from, or tune out of, the 'outer object'. All sufferings come from this.

As Thusness once put, "it is the split, the separation that causes suffering as well the arising of desire. Without the insight that there is no-split, the mind continues to divide. Desire is an inner deficy of the mind created to bridge the gap of separation." Perhaps this is why J.Krishnamurti said, "In the gap between subject and object lies the entire misery of humankind."

This is not a question..but a sharing that I am beginning to get a very slight sense of what does it mean to experience "the seen is merely the seen. That’s it. There are forms, shapes,colors, and so forth, but there is no thing there. There is no realsubstance, no solidity, and no self-existent reality. All there is,is the quality of experience itself. No more, no less. "

I must share with you that I seem to get faint sense of the visual non-dual awareness. It seems to be a sense of wonder that life is always in movement..to look without commentary and judgement..or even labelling

Thank you Passer by. I also see sometimes different levels. Sometimes "i" see the movements and hear the sounds or have a faint sensation of the body but my heart is cold and the awareness is "heavy". Other times, there is an emotional content that gets added, a strange kind of joy, and then the effort becomes light.

Hi Stian I quite dont know how to make an update..but can share that some things have changed..there is now more a sense of sacredness of existence....there is sense of faith, as though all events around me, good or bad, is lawful and that eventually I will be saved, inspite of myself..nothing much to say I guess :-)

If everything is changing to the extent that no thing can be said to exist at any time because it is in such an interrelated transitioning and this is the so-called makeup of"reality" then that "reality" when seen as such is already wanting. Top that off with the impression that's the stuff that"you"are made up of and that should help in dissembling that thing called you and the "real"world.

"The Theravadian obvious agree with the dualism of everyday life.However they do shift perspectives to different levels of non-dualism till they arrive at the dualism of 'Buddhist atoms' (note Abidharma).It is at this point that most people think the Theravadian are dualists.However if we bring in the core principles i.e. non-self, impermanence and dependent-origination these 'Buddhist atoms' cannot be regarded independent thus cannot be dualistic.Applying the core principles one will arrive at the middle-way."

Then the World-Honored One asked Mañjuśrī, “You were the first to arrive here. Did you wish to see the Tathāgata?” Mañjuśrī replied to the Buddha, “Indeed, World-Honored One, I did come here to see the Tathāgata. Why? Because I delight in making the right observation to benefit sentient beings. I observe the Tathāgata by the appearances of true suchness: never changing, never moving, never acting, with neither birth nor death, neither existent nor nonexistent, neither somewhere nor nowhere, neither in the past, present, or future, nor not in the past, present, or future, neither dual nor non-dual, neither pure nor impure. Through appearances such as these, I correctly observe the Tathāgata to benefit sentient beings.” The Buddha told Mañjuśrī, “If one can see the Tathāgata as such, one’s mind will neither grasp nor not grasp, neither accumulate nor not accumulate.” Śāriputra said to Mañjuśrī, “It is rare for anyone to see the Tathāgata in the way you describe. As you observe the Tathāgata for the sake of all sentient beings, your mind does not grasp the appearances of sentient beings. As you teach all sentient beings to head for nirvāṇa, [your mind] does not grasp the appearance of nirvāṇa. As you manifest such great majesty for all sentient beings, your mind does not see the appearance of majesty.”